Chaos Matrimony: Trauma
by Yenri
Summary: Eggman has awakened an ancient evil, Angel Island has been destroyed, and Sonic has been kidnapped! With the world quickly falling into a dictatorship it's up to Knuckles and Shadow to do damage control. Eventual KnucklesXShadow (Knuxadow)
1. Not Enough Progress

_Beep, Beep_

_Beep, Beep_

_Beep, Beep_

_Beep, Beep_

"Shadow."

The dark hedgehog shuffled in his seat, seemingly lost in thought until his friend spoke to him.  
"Yes?"

_Beep, Beep_  
the patient shifted in his bed, careful not to move his body too much, lest he should ensue any more pain. "Can you turn off that machine? I can't sleep with all that noise."

_Beep, Beep_  
Shadow looked up at the monitors, the lights alit among the other screens surrounding their patient, all with their own sounds, all with their own jobs, and to be honest, they intimidated him.

_Beep, Beep_  
The one committing the crime of lost sleep was the heart monitor, making its frequent noise in a perfect rhythm. Shadow had actually enjoyed the sound, it was comforting, but it wasn't his choice.

_Beep, Be-_  
He stood up and flicked off the sound tab, letting the silence grow and comfort those within it, except Shadow. He didn't understand why, but he always had trouble concentrating in complete silence. Perhaps he was just used to being around company, noise or perhaps he was just anxious; silence seemed like a disguise to him.

"Thank you." A voice broke in, "I don't know how anyone could get any sleep in this hospital with that beeping."

"You have an I.V in your arm and it's the beeping that's keeping you up?"  
Shadow couldn't help but chuckle, but it wasn't the dark condescending chuckle he was oh so famous for, it was a rather light-hearted one. This made his friend raise his brow, not used to this sort of behavior,

"What's up with you? You're more cheery than usual. What, was there a new nurse assigned to me while I was sleeping?"

"Yes, she's exceedingly stunning."

"Oh?"

"She's 43 and has 2 kids."

"I see, you have excellent taste."

Shadow smiled, amused by their banter.  
"And you? You're much more talkative today."

Knuckles pulled up his sheets so it would cover his shoulders, shrugging as he faced Shadow completely who was again in his seat on the left of the bed.  
"I guess I'm just bored. There's not much I can do while I'm here."

"Except talk to me?"

"Except talk to you."

Knuckles paired that statement with a kind smile, looking at the hedgehog briefly before looking away again. The hedgehog smiled back but didn't look away. He wasn't ashamed of presenting his feelings, but compared to the shyer echidna he may have come off forward and blunt at times. His ears twitched as he stood up to gaze out the window, but there was nothing to look at but airplanes, tanks, humans parading in their uniforms and the occasional group of rookies circling the base. He had hoped to see a bird.

Knuckles tried to look out the window too, but he could only see part of the sky from his bottom view.  
"How's it looking?"

"They don't stand a chance."  
Knuckles' chest ached in his awkward positioning, his eyes narrowed and he turned away from Shadow in his bed. Shadow noticed this, but decided to remain quiet as he returned to his seat. The silence had retaken the room, making the atmosphere thicker as the faint sounds of vehicles tried to enter their room, almost like a duel.

"You don't believe in them at all?"  
A challenger.

"I _believe_ they'll just make this a bigger mess."

Competition ensued.

"Well, what are they supposed to do? Nothing? What would you do if you were in their shoes?"

"I already am."

A door opens, and the aforementioned nurse had stepped in with a tray of food, Shadow ignored the glare Knuckles gave him as the nurse bent down to place his tray on his lap.  
"Do you need an extra blanket, sir?"  
Knuckles shook his head and smiled, she returned his gesture and promptly left. After a couple of bites into his dinner he looked over at Shadow, who was enjoying a cup of tea.

"How old are you Shadow?"  
The hedgehog eyed the echidna, wondering why on Mobius he'd ask such a random question so suddenly. Perhaps it was just an attempt to incite small talk.

"18."  
Knuckles raised a brow incredulously, making Shadow realize what the other actually meant.

"I'm turning 70 this year."  
Knuckles' eyes widened as he held back a chuckle,

"Holy shit. You're old as dirt."  
Shadow rolled his eyes, slightly embarrassed.

"You realize I was frozen in a pod, right? 70 is my technical age. 18 is my physical age. Wait. I just realized, aren't I younger than you now?"  
Knuckles' smile disappeared immediately when he realized this fact, but he still managed to utter out a response,

"Yeah, I'm turning 20 in the spring."

"That's only 6 months away."

'Yeah' Knuckles thought, 'He's right. I can't believe how quickly these last 6 months went by. I guess I've just been ignoring it.'  
Knuckles turned back towards the other side of his bed, back facing his company.

"I'm going to get some rest. You can go if you want."

"Okay."

* * *

_Knuckles felt the unfamiliar scent of grass, its swaying form tickling his nose. He tried to get up, but his limbs felt heavier than usual. Strange. The echidna's dreadlocks swayed to the left as the wind hit him, the earth woke and broke its composure below him. Knuckles watched, slightly panicked as the land around him broke apart like glass then began to fall into what looked like a black void, swallowing the land below.  
_

_"What the hell?"  
_

_A rain pellet struck his face, but then his face started to bleed. Knuckles dared to look back up and face the direction in which the 'rain' fell. Shimmers of green fell like starlight around him, showering him in their luminous light. For a moment, Knuckles felt a twinge of euphoria for reasons unknown to him.  
The echidna suddenly felt a mighty force crash down on him and his small piece of land. Like a whip, it cracked down on his body and pulled him up, higher and higher. It continued its action while Knuckles found himself clawing desperately at the remains of the land around him. Why was he so scared? Why was his body becoming weaker? Why were his eyes swelling with tears, burning his face with their bitter form? He leg was brought above his body and Knuckles found himself hanging upside down, granting him the perfect view of his land, his island, being destroyed.  
Knuckles remembered now what this place was and he could feel his heart pounding out of his chest.  
He turned from his gaze below him and looked at the owner of the 'whip' that carried him.  
A dark silhouette loomed over him, its long forked tongue hanging outside its maw as it curled into a wicked smile.  
_

_"That was a foolish move, __**Guardian."**__  
_

* * *

**"NO!"**  
The echidna threw himself up from his bed, screaming as if his life depended on it.

**NO! DON'T! STOP IT!" **"  
A gloved hand hovered over Knuckle' shoulder,

"Knuckles, I'm here. I'll help you."  
Shadow had been resting next to Knuckles' bed, besides being told he could be dismissed hours ago. He made sure to look over for any wounds made when Knuckles abruptly woke up. An I.V tear could lead to bruising and the E.K.G tube could be forcibly lodged even further inside Knuckles by accident if the echidna continued to recklessly thrash about. Yet, during all this he didn't raise his voice, he didn't touch the echidna and he didn't panic.

**"STOP IT! DON'T HURT ME!"**

"Do you want to leave?"  
The "call nurse" button had been pushed.

**"PLEASE! HELP! SONIC!"**  
Knuckles gripped Shadow's hand tightly, catching the hedgehog off guard. This had been the first time Knuckles had initiated contact and Shadow was alarmed at being called, 'Sonic.'  
Doctors and nurses came hurriedly through the door, but Shadow halted them at the door.

"You're safe now. We're leaving. I'm here to help you, okay?"  
Knuckles clutched for dear life onto Shadow's chest. The agent called over the doctors to unplug his monitor. It was too soon to remove the I.V so a nurse pushed the monitor alongside Knuckles and Shadow as he carried the echidna out into the hall. Passing the doctors the hedgehog could hear their concerns.

"..It's getting too frequent…we have to schedule more counselor visits…not enough progress…"  
He looked down at Knuckles, who was still shaking and struggling to keep his eyes open.  
The nurse tried not to speak during their walk, but his suspicions got the better of him.

"Are you a friend of his?"  
The answer was immediate, no hesitation.

"No, I'm his guardian."

* * *

The two of them sat on a bench inside the hospital's botanical garden, specifically made for the patients to get some fresh air and prevent cabin fever. A grand oak tree stood proudly in the middle, hovering over each section of the garden like a king. Each section of the garden had its own collection of flora. Roses and black dahlia's near the front entrance, hibiscuses and pansies in the east entrance and lilies with green gladiolas by the southern entrance. It was truly a spectacle so stunning that it calmed Knuckles almost immediately. Shadow had admired the sight as well, but perhaps not as much as the other.

They weren't alone. The nurse was long gone, but an elderly woman strolled past them in a wheelchair, and while she was attached to an oxygen tank she still appeared to be enjoying herself, not even acknowledging its existence. Shadow held Knuckles hand to keep the echidna calm, but he worried he was just making the guy uneasy. Knuckles hadn't said a word since the hedgehog had carried him out of his room, possibly ashamed of his behavior, besides it being out of his control. Knuckles was about to say something when he heard his friend speak first.

"She's married."

"W-What?"

"The nurse with the kids. I saw her ring when she removed your I.V."  
Shadow turned towards the echidna and smiled. For some reason, Knuckles felt like that was the hedgehog's way of saying he was forgiven. He could feel his cheeks heating up as he noticed their hands were still connected, looking up at the oak tree in the middle of the garden he removed his hand, careful not to seem too eager to lose the contact.

"What happened?"  
He wished he hadn't asked Shadow that, but he just felt like he needed to know.

"You don't remember?"

"No?"

"Well, you were tossing and turning quite a bit, then suddenly you just screamed. I called the nurses, they unhooked you, and I carried you here."

"You carried me?"

"Well, unless I wanted to lose my chest fur from your tight grip it was either that or carry you."

"That's embarrassing. Sorry about that."

"Don't be. I didn't mind and I'm very strong."  
They both stared at the oak tree now, the elderly woman now being pushed by a nurse back inside the hospital for her 'medication'. Knuckles caught a glimpse at her face before she went inside. She seemed unhappy.

"It's getting worse."  
Shadow turned back towards him, tilting his head.

"I think it's getting better."

"What? Are you serious? You said I was screaming."

"Yes, but usually you just spout noises incoherently. You used to not even say words, just, thrash around."  
Brows furrowing, the echidna looked at Shadow like he just said something ridiculous.

"So I'm yelling and talking in these episodes, so what? I thought progression meant I would have less episodes, not more!"

"Yes, but now we're getting to the root of your trauma. You haven't been the same since Sonic-"

"Stop! I don't want to talk about this anymore!"  
Knuckles held his head in his hands, bending down so his knees touched his face. Shadow sighed and regretted bringing up Sonic so soon, but it had been 3 months already and the echidna had to face it sooner or later.

_Beep, Beep_**  
**

Shadow's wrist communicator sounded off, signaling that he was needed at the base.  
"Knuckles, we have to go inside."  
The other stayed quiet, much to the hedgehog's dismay.

"I'm going to carry you back-"  
"No."

His ears perked, the echidna glared at him from his angled position.  
"I can walk myself."

"Is that so? Well, we can use this as a chance for some physical therapy then."  
Standing up and walking to his friend's side he extended a hand, waiting for the other.

"You're going to get better, Knuckles, I promise."  
Knuckles' glare softened, a wash of shame made his muzzle turn red. He reached up for the other's hand, gripping it tightly.  
In a few slow pulls Knuckles was brought to his feet, the pressure was almost unbearable. Knuckles thought his hips would give out and have him fall back down in no time, but he just held on, pulling against the other to help him keep his balance. This made Shadow grin which Knuckles noticed, reminding him again of his attitude earlier.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you."

_Step. _  
"I'm sorry you had to yell at me."

_Step. _  
"What do you mean? You were just trying to help me."

_Step, Step_  
"True, but I cannot say I wouldn't behave the same in your shoes. You remember Maria, yes?"

_Step, Step_  
"How could I not? She was everything to you, wasn't she? You talked about her nonstop on the ARK."

_Step, Step _  
"Yes, well, back then I blamed the world, and all its people for her death."

_Step, Step  
_

"And yet, I blamed myself even more, for not being able to protect her."

"Shadow, what happened on the ARK wasn't your fault."

"And what happened to Sonic wasn't your fault either."  
Shadow's hand held Knuckles' tightly and the other hand sat on his back, ready to catch the echidna if he lost his balance and fell. As they stood there Knuckles' eyes started to water from the other's words reminding him of his old friend. But as he looked away to wipe his face he saw the bench they had rested on in the distance. **  
**

"We're already at the door? That was quick."  
"I told you, you're healing nicely."

_Beep, Beep_

"Excuse me," Shadow called out to a standing nurse, "Could you take him to his room, preferably by wheelchair." The echidna looked back at Shadow, an almost panicked tone came up in his voice.

"Where are you going?"  
"Commander Abraham is calling me back to the base, so try to take it easy while I'm gone."  
"Oh, shut up."

Shadow chuckled, as he put on his G.U.N jacket, refitted and modified of course to bear his own little logo on the back. Knuckles rolled his eyes at the hedgehog's sense of fashion, but felt a pain in his chest watching the other leave. While being wheeled back to his room, the echidna noticed the elderly woman from earlier, she was lying in her bed, staring wistfully at the oak tree that seemed to beckon to her.

* * *

"Attention, Agents."

A crowd of black suited individuals saluted in the presence of Commander Tower, the highest-ranking officer in G.U.N, and thus in charge of all operations against threats that may endanger Mobius. This conference would go over a new threat that may evolve into a something even worse.

"We've received reports of the sudden seizure of the Southern Islands by the tyrant known as Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik and his new colleague, who goes by the name, 'Lyric'. These two have conquered mass amounts of civilians for reasons we're still not certain, but we fear the worst has happened already. Measures have already been made to try to apprehend these two, but with the absence of Sonic and his friends, it has become exceedingly difficult to anticipate Robotnik's schemes.

_Click, Click_

"Approximately 3 months, 2 weeks and 2 days ago, Doctor Eggman released "Lyric", the last member of a race know as the Ancients, from what we believe to be a kind of "stasis" prison, similar to the one that held you, Shadow."  
The hedgehog snapped his fingers and pointed at himself nonchalantly, which ensued some mumbling. Towers smirked at Shadow's disposition and decided to use his 'expertise' to shed some light on Lyric's tomb.

"Shadow, based on our discoveries, what would you say about what they may be planning?"

Shadow straightened his inhibitor rings as he stepped up on the stage.

"My capsule's release mechanism could only be activated with a Chaos Emerald, so from that we can assume the doctor and his new friend have at least one. But, even one is one too many."

"Agreed. Has the echidna been able to give out any information that may help our cause?"

"Knuckles' psyche has still not fully recovered from the trauma of his home's destruction. His body is weak, but I believe it's his link to the Chaos Force that is aiding his recovery."

"Chaos Force? Please elaborate for the troops."

"The Chaos Force is-"

_CREAK!  
_

A pair of double doors at the far end of the auditorium cracked open as a pair of white ears poked in.

"Hey, I'm late, aren't I? Sorry. I was stuck in traffic."  
Shadow frowned at his partner, he didn't like being interrupted.  
"You can fly, Rouge."  
"True, but my car can't, hon!"

An uproar of laughter flooded the auditorium and Shadow felt a hot wash of embarrassment on his face as she waved at him and sat next to his seat in the front. She smiled and made a gesture for him to continue as she reapplied her make-up.  
He stared at her for a couple more seconds, wondering if he had the ability to move objects with his mind, but once Rouge's seat still failed to bend to his will he cleared his throat and continued his analysis.

"The Chaos Force is the connection one has to accessing an endless reserve of Chaos Energy. Chaos Emeralds, The Master Emerald, and even the Sol Emeralds have all been proven to have an immediate link to the Chaos Force, and with that whomever wields one will be able to summon unlimited power."  
Towers stared at the slideshow, concentrating on a blurred photo of Lyric.

"What do you suggest we do? This is your realm of expertise."  
Shadow looked down at the podium, thinking it over, silence stood beside Shadow, waiting for him to challenge it again. Shadow walked off the podium and stared straight into the sea of agents, furrowing his brow he replied confidently,

"We're going to reassemble Team Sonic."


	2. He Brings You Hope

_"What are you doing, Sonic?"  
Knuckles fidgeted as Sonic messed with his dreadlocks, tugging occasionally. The echidna's spines were rather long and for Sonic that meant it was perfect for fixing up.  
_

_"Just hold still."  
Sonic pulled on the dreads in his hand and backed up to see his work.  
_

_"Hey! Not bad. You actually look pretty cute with your hair in a bun."  
_

_"No way, I feel dumb."  
Knuckles didn't like his dreadlocks being so high up; he preferred a framed face, it made him feel more comfortable.  
_

_"But Knuckles," Sonic whined, "Trust me, you look fine."  
The hedgehog gripped Knuckles' shoulders and gently turned him towards the Master Emerald, which glowed a luminous green over the altar. Knuckles only saw half his face in the reflection from his peripherals before he turned quickly away.  
_

_"No, it's going to look stupid."  
Sonic feigned a hurt tone,  
_

_"But I worked so hard on it! Come one, Knux."  
The utterance of that nickname made the echidna's cheeks burn and his heart felt heavy in his chest.  
_

_"F-Fine, but if it looks dumb I'll hit you."  
_

_"Fair enough."  
Knuckles decided to just get it over with and turned his head swiftly around, eyes shut tight.  
_

_"What do you think?"  
An eye hesitantly opened, but soon the echidna gaped at his reflection, cheeks a bright pink._

_"It's cute."_

* * *

Knuckles' spoon slipped out of his hand as he tried to eat his soup.

_Clink, Clink!  
_

He groaned as he heard the silverware hit the ground, cursing at himself for not asking for a spare spoon when he had the chance. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he pushed his tray table away from his bed, feet shuffling out of his heavy fleece blanket. Before Knuckles had dared to get off the bed and retrieve his spoon he heard his room's door opening.

"Just keep quiet. He might be sleeping."

"Oh alright, Mom. I'll make sure to use my inside voice."

'Rouge?' The echidna wondered why the bat would be here, but he slunk back in his bed, waiting for his visitors to enter.  
Shadow came in first, holding a paper bag that omitted a wonderful smell. Rouge came shortly after with a tiny bear in her grip. Knuckles locked eyes with the bat as she stared at him. A second of silence passed before she smiled brightly and laid a card and the bear on his bed. He peered at the bear at his feet while he reached for the card.

"Read it out loud so we can hear your reaction."  
The echidna raised a brow as he looked at the pink card, he could see Shadow turn quickly around and it seemed he was listening intently for something. Clearing his throat, Knuckles read the note.

"How has life been without you?" He looked up and Rouge who was grinning brightly and Shadow who was fuming. Knuckles continued reading as he opened the card.

"Un-bear-able."

"**More like un-fucking-believable."  
**Rouge erupted into laughter as Shadow stared at her, obviously disapproving the terrible pun.

**"I told you to get a meaningful card, not that word play garbage."  
**Rouge threw her body on one of the chairs surrounding Knuckles' bed, laughing hysterically. Knuckles couldn't help but crack a smile at their reactions, folding the card back.

"Oh, come one, Shadow. Lighten up! Do you really think Knuckie wants some sappy-ass card or something that puts a smile on his face?"  
Shadow huffed as he placed his delightful smelling bag on the desk besides Knuckles, who was noticeably staring at it.

"What's that smell?"  
Rouge looked over at the bag, then smiled brightly as she slyly glanced at Shadow.

"Cheeseburgers. You want some? We figured you'd be sick to death of the hospital food."  
Shadow unwrapped one of the burgers and placed it Knuckles' plate. The echidna stared at the exotic food, well, to him it was exotic.

"It looks funny."

"You look funny."  
Knuckles gave Rouge an amused glance at her attempt at a comeback, her response just being to smile and lean further back in her seat.

"Just eat it. You'll like it, I promise."

Knuckles shrugged and brought the bun to his mouth, only the bun. Shadow and Rouge watched awestruck as the echidna merely dissected his food and ate it individually. They both glanced at each other wondering if they should try to teach a 20 year old how to eat his food properly. Rouge just shrugged and giggled, and the hedgehog figured as long as Knuckles at least ate the burger that no harm was done.

* * *

"You got any more, guys?"  
Knuckles had eaten four burgers and was now requesting a fifth, much to his friend's dismay. Rouge decided to interject, "Knuckles, you shouldn't eat so much junk food or you'll get sick."  
Shadow nodded and wrapped up the burger, then his ears twitched as if he had a realization.

"You know what, echidna? You can have another."  
Knuckles sat up in his bed, looking a little more excited than he probably meant to.  
Shadow walked out the door and into the hallway, not saying a word.  
Both his friends were left in the room to ponder the hedgehog's actions. A voice then sounded out from the end of the hall.

"Hey! You coming to get it or not?"  
Rouge got up from her seat, her face contorted in annoyance.

"Shadow! Are you seriously going to make him walk all the way over there?"

"Yep!"

"That's mean."

"Tough, if he wants to get what he wants he has to work for it."  
Rouge crossed her arms, almost considering hitting the hedgehog upside the head for his behavior.

_Squeak, Squeak_

"Huh? Knuckles! What are you doing?"  
Knuckles had risen from his bed, clutching his I.V monitor for balance. He shuffled to balance his feet, almost losing his balance as he stood on the floor completely. Rouge rushed to his side, clutching his sides,

"Knuckles, be careful! Let me help-"

"No."

_Squeak, Squeak_

Knuckles stepped forward his knees shaking, trying to buckle under the echidna's weight.

"I'm going to do this by myself. I walked in the garden, I'm going to walk here, but this time without help."

_Squeak, Squeak_

He pushed his I.V monitor along his side as he shakily moved forward, each step making the bat anxious, but he still pushed on. When he reached the door frame he was shaking, his hips felt like cinder blocks, which to Knuckles would've be like feathers, but right now, they felt like the heaviest thing in the universe. He was sweating, but the moment he saw Shadow standing at the end of the hall he felt a second wind. He grinned as he pushed the I.V machine in front of him, pushing it forward with more gusto as he walked. It didn't take long for him to finally reach Shadow, who was silent at the panting patient in front of him.

"Now, -_pant-_ where's my _-pant- _food?"

"I ate it."

"...What?"

Knuckles wobbly looked over Shadow to see if he was lying and just simply hiding it from him,

"Hey, if you want a piece you can just ask me! Now fork it over!"

"I don't need a piece. I'm immortal so I have no need for food."

"Then where is it?"

"I ate it."

"What the fuck, dude? You just said- wait, I walked all the way out here for nothing?"

"Not for nothing. Look at your feet. You're standing."  
Knuckles' eyes went wide as he quickly looked down. His legs were standing straight below him, completely still. The hedgehog's cold face melted into a smile as he watched the echidna's face go from astonishment to euphoria.

"I'm standing?"

"You're standing."

"I'm standing!"  
Knuckles wobbled as he turned around and hollered towards his room,

"Rouge, look! I'm standing! I'm standing!"

* * *

"He's kind of cute when he sleeps, don't you think? It's funny how vulnerable we look when we sleep."

Rouge, with her tender hand resting on the side of the bed watched Knuckles sleep soundly, his snoring audible yet soft. He had been carried back to bed by Shadow so that he wouldn't overexert himself and the echidna knocked out from exhaustion shortly after. Her ears lowered to the sides of her head as her voice softened as well.

"Y'know, Whenever I'd visit him…on that island of his…he always looked on his guard…always vigilant, even when he slept."  
Shadow looked over at her as he closed the mini-fridge, ears perking. She hesitantly continued,

"But now, he looks as helpless as a child. Yet, I know, somewhere, that vigilant, uptight echidna is still in there." She turned to her friend, her smile weak from her speech. "You've done a good job trying to get that part of him out."

"Hmph, so you're saying I'm doing a good job on my **assignment**?"  
Rouge puffed her cheeks out, dissatisfied with his answer. "Oh please, Shadow. Don't give me that crap. I **know **you."  
Shadow made a cocky smirk as he put on his G.U.N jacket back on, "You just love to assume things about me, don't you?"

"They're not assumptions when I know they're true. It's my job to profile people, to read behaviors and get what I want to know. And I know you're treating this as more than just an assignment. You may not realize it, but you're doing a great job fulfilling your promise to **her**."

"Hmph, if you say so."_  
_

* * *

_"Hey, Knuckles. Need some help?"__  
_

_Knuckles slowly turned from his vineyard, a soft smile on his muzzle.  
_

_"Thanks, but I think I got this. It's just picking grapes."  
_

_"True, but with my speed I could have this whole vineyard picked clean in seconds!"  
Knuckles started to laugh as he picked more grapes, occasionally popping one of them in his mouth.  
_

_"You got a point, but in case you haven't realized I like to do things myself. I don't always want Sonic the Hero of Mobius helping me out with things I can do myself."  
_

_Sonic sighed, tapping his foot as he watched the echidna pick the fruit. Ever. So. Slowly.  
_

_"Alright, Mr. Proud, but when you're done do you want to go on a date?"  
Knuckles was silent as he continued to pick the grapes and trash the sour ones.  
_

_"Trying to set me up with Rouge again? I already told you I didn't like her so knock it off."  
_

_What was that saying? Swing and a miss. Yeah, that'd fit the echidna perfectly.  
_

_"Yeah, I know, but I wasn't talking about her."  
Knuckles groaned as he turned around, already annoyed.  
_

_"Oh? Well, who is it this time? Blaze? Wave? Oh god, if you even think of setting me up with Amy I'm going to-"  
_

_"No, of course not. I'm talking about someone way better. I think they're just your type. I mean if they can handle that short temper of yours."  
Sonic's friend couldn't help but look skeptical. 'Please.' He thought, 'someone that's just my type? Yeah, right. The only person I can think that's my type is…oh.'  
_

_Sonic took great joy in watching his friend go from stoic to blushing mad and clutching his basket for dear life, he stepped forward, hoping that would make the echidna's face redder than those dumb grapes. Knuckles stepped back, his body leaning against the vineyard, the grapes getting warm from his burning red face.  
_

_"S-Sonic?"_

_"Want to go out with me, Knux?"_

* * *

"Sonic?"

He woke up calm, his dreadlocks pooled against his shoulders. They felt heavier than usual. Whatever, at least it was manageable. He had refused for the doctors to trim his quills, even though their length was causing the echidna some back pain. He didn't care. All he remembered saying to them was,

_"I want them long! Because, if they're short…_

_He can't tie them anymore!"_

He could hardly remember who 'he' was, apparently neither did the doctors or even Shadow. 'I must have been delirious.' He pondered, 'I was probably pumped to the brim with pain-killers, no doubt just spouting nonsense.' He sat up in his bed, looking around for anyone in his room.

_Beep, Beep  
_

"Oh, great. One of the nurses must have left that heart machine on again. God, that's going to drive me crazy. Where's the switch?" Knuckles looked around for something that said, 'off' or 'deactivate' or even 'terminate'. It didn't matter. He just wanted that stupid noise off. He noticed the heart rate monitor had a plug connected at the bottom of the port that was attached to an outlet near his bed.

"Ah, there it is! Get over here you annoying little shit."

_Beep,Beep  
_When Knuckles got a good grip on the plug and tugged on it hard, the plug gave away after two hard tugs, then-

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-!  
_

"What the hell is that noise? That's even worse than before! Ugh, how do I turn this shit off?"

_eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-!_

Knuckles struggled to turn that horrible noise off which to his knowledge was just a noise, but really it was a flat-line alert. Its loud volume meant to signify a patient's passing.

_eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-!  
_

The echidna wasn't aware of this so as he struggled to put the plug back a pitch black hedgehog kicked down his door, face contorted in worry.

**"KNUCKLES!"**

"Shadow! Come help me turn this thing off!"

Shadow, after staring at the echidna for an extended period of time, and putting together the pieces in his head, went over and switched off the volume on the top of the monitor after Knuckles jammed the plug back in the wall.

_Eeeeeeeeee-CLICK!  
_

Knuckles sighed in relief, chuckling softly, "Thanks, Shadow. That thing was getting on my nerves. I…Shadow?"  
The aforementioned hedgehog was standing silently against the monitor, completely silent. He turned slightly and gave Knuckles a cold glare, as if mentally berating Knuckles for making him worry for nothing.

"Don't mess with this monitor anymore. If you need the sound off just call a nurse. **Idiot.**"  
Shadow turned sharply away from the echidna and walked out of the room. Knuckles was confused at the other's behavior, until a group of doctors and nurses came barging in his room.

"Mister Echidna! How do you feel?"

"Fine?"

"No shortness of breath? No loss of feeling in your chest or arms?"

"No? Why?"  
The doctor took off her rubber gloves and a nurse lowered their set of defibrillator paddles, all of them sighing tiredly.

"Mr. Echidna, your machine flat-lined for a few minutes. We thought you were dying. I assume the real case was you just messing with the plug?"  
The nurse came to this conclusion when he saw the echidna still lying on his side facing the plug, which was placed roughly in and noticeably off kilter.  
Knuckles just sat there, eyes wide and mouth agape as he realized his friend's attitude earlier. He couldn't help his face heating up at the realization of Shadow's concern.

'He thought I was dying. No wonder he was so mad at me. Ugh, I feel terrible. I didn't mean to make him and these doctors worry about me. I just wanted to stop the noise.' Knuckles sighed as the nurses took his temperature and blood pressure, wondering how on Mobius he was going to make it up to Shadow.

"Man, I _am _an idiot."

* * *

Shadow stomped down the halls of the hospital, breathing heavily, and face completely flushed. Visitors of the hospital pushed their children to their side to get them out of the way of the seemingly rampaging hedgehog. His eyes looked piercingly cold, like one stare would freeze you solid.  
'That fucking idiot, making me stress out over something so stupid. What's the big deal about a little noise anyway?'  
He punched the 'down' button on the elevator panel, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the lift to take him back downstairs where he was prepping for a meeting with his colleagues. He had gotten an alert on his communicator, which was configured to give him updates on the echidna's health. So when it alerted him that Knuckles' heart had stopped he rushed like hell upstairs, determined to revive the echidna himself if needed.

_Ding!_  
He stepped inside, still fuming.

_'Why does he insist on making my job so hard sometimes? Sometimes, we get along so well and other times I want to punch his lights out.'  
_

_Ding!  
_

Stepping out he remembered the face Knuckles made when he had entered the room, as if thrilled by his presence. Yet, Shadow couldn't just ignore his own relief when he saw Knuckles alive and breathing, even if he was fumbling around like an idiot. That stupid echidna, looking all confused and panicked and _helpless_. Shadow shook his head to relinquish his thoughts from dwelling on his friend, not wanting to become distracted. One of the agents stood up as they eyed Shadow at the end of the hall, "Shadow, glad you're able to finally join us."

"Whatever."

'It's unacceptable for him to look so weak all the time. He's healing and regaining much of his strength, but...' He sat alongside the other agents, arms folded, smirk rising,

"He's going to have to get some extra training if he's going to become my new partner. He won't be of any use looking for his boyfriend like this, so we're just going to have to improvise a little.'

* * *

_Clink, Clink!_

"Nghh."

A figure shuffled in his shackles, struggling just to stand. His face was bleeding profusely, but he didn't care. All he cared about was enduring another day, getting through the works, so that one day he could find his chance to escape or at least send a distress call. His cell was completely made of Mobidindum, the strongest metal on the planet. The figure shuffled again to stand up, breath ragged as he forced a smile on his bleeding face.

"Heh-eh-ehheh. Let's see what you got in store for me today, Eggman. Come on! I can take it!"  
A monitor turned on at the far end of the cold, and barren room.

_Ksssssh!  
_

_"_You seem rather feistier today than usual, hedgehog. Ready for more tests?"  
The unkempt hedgehog panted, his fur matted with blood and grease. Yet, the shaggy being still managed to flash a toothy grin as he challenged his captor.

"Bring it on, Eggman. Your tests don't fucking scare me. So hurry it up!"

"Prepare for 'test number six hundred and ninety-three: metronome'! Let's see you win this one, you blue pest!"


	3. Laugh At Your Pain

"Shadow, what do you think dying is like?"

Shadow turned to face his friend, his ears lowering at hearing the grim topic.

"Why are you asking me that? You're going to be fine."

Smiling he placed his hand on top of his friend's as he covered them up with their blanket. the other smiled and gripped him tightly, eager to convince Shadow to rethink his answer.

"I know. But, I just think it's an interesting topic. I never get the chance to hear your opinion on many things. I thought maybe this would be a good opportunity for it."

Shadow shook his head, gripping back on the hand,

"Well, I suppose, a part of me believes it's like a light going out. Short and abrupt. Honestly, I haven't had much reason to establish a real opinion since the professor told me I'm immortal. What's your opinion, Maria?"

Her eyes softened as she looked upwards from her bed, eyes gazing wistfully at the ceiling. Shadow began to wish he had worded his opinion a bit more delicately, but he figured Maria would appreciate an honest opinion over a euphemistic one. he stared at her blond hair, messily hanging over parts of her shoulders and held against her face by her oxygen mask. Her eyes had a darkened hue around them from her recent bouts of insomnia to which Shadow his company might combat.

"Well, I've always thought," She began to speak, brushing her hair off her cheek. "that it was like sleeping. Soothing and calming, like a nap."

Shadow placed his hand on her head, his head hanging low. she noticed his disposition and smiled, petting his head softly as she spoke very quietly.

"Don't worry, Shadow. Like you said, I'm going to be fine."

No, I'm sorry, Maria. but I lied to you. I saw the deterioration in your health. I saw your grandfather, sobbing and begging for more funding to continue his research. I saw all of this and still chose to give you false hope. I was selfish. I just wanted to see you smile and I knew if I told you you'd think about things like death even more until it consumed you, like it consumed me.

Shadow snapped out of his day dream as the board of directors finished up their analysis on the possible whereabouts on Robotnik's hostages.

'You're not going to find them.' the hedgehog thought, fully sure his thoughts were right even if they haven't found the bodies. The head director tossed a file in Shadow's direction who then caught it without hesitance.

"Those are all the operatives that have disappeared in the span of two weeks."

"Lyric certainly doesn't discriminate, he's captured men, women, and even retired operatives."

The other agents in the meeting looked through their own files, all appearing exceptionally distraught by the numbers.

"We've come to the conclusion that Lyric and Robotnik are going to use these operatives as hostages for a ransom."

Shadow scoffed as he flipped through the file, profile shots of the missing operatives rushing by his vision.

"Why would they need any ransom? They've already got nearly thousands of our operatives, all experienced in the field and in the special offices, a fully armed military base and Sonic, assuming he's still alive, of course."

he tugged his jacket sleeve, checking his communicator once more.

"Seems like he's got everything we want. What could he possibly want from us?"

* * *

Tremendous force, incredible power, all of it erupted in a cacophony of blistering vibrations shooting out in supersonic force. The rate of the noise traveled ten times the speed of sound to which would send an ear-splitting frequency to its victim. This victim being Sonic the Hedgehog, who was hunched over there ground, crawling closer to the machine to turn it off. that was the test that the evil genius had to set up, no doubt to watch the hedgehog writhe in pain and see his ears bleed.

Earlier...

"Metronome? So, what is it this time, Egg-head? A pendulum rigged to my heartbeat? An iron maiden with heat tracking abilities? To be honest, I'm itching for some originality today."  
Sonic egged the genius on, mind the pun, in hops for the doctor to throw everything he could at him. He wanted to know the doctor's capabilities, exhaust all his ideas as quickly as he could. Plus it wouldn't hurt to test his limits even farther than there were. It was a good idea, y'know, for the first couple of months he had been trapped, until the feeding stopped and the inhumane torture became more frequent. He couldn't feel his own body half the time he was conscious and he yearned for more than an hour's rest without worry of a poison dart getting shot in his ass. Again.

The evil genius bellowed in self gratification as he transferred Sonic to a new room, the large droids transporting him showing no mercy in their tight grip that Sonic was sure was almost going to snap his arms in half. It was pointless at this point to struggle or try to escape. Sonic had tried innumerable times to escape and each time he found himself with a new broken limb. The defenses and security was greater than any he had ever seen, so much so that Sonic didn't even complain when he was thrown into the new room. There was just simply no point. He looked around his new surroundings and noticed the tremendously large speaker-like device taking up the northern wall.

A monitor flicked on in the ceiling, the doctor's shadow barely discernible from the dark background.  
"Test number 693. I've come to the conclusion that if glass when exposed to a high resonance rate it shatters. Now, knowing that, I'd like to see how the maximum frequency it would take for your bones to do the same."

Present...

**"COME ON. IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!"**

Sonic chuckled at the older man's sadism, it was amusing how hard the man tried to make him hurt, to make him bleed and cry out in pain. But Sonic was just as stubborn. He'd manage to survive this long so why not push for another 6 months? The noise stabbed his ear drums like daggers, giving him a horrendous migraine, his very skull writhing with the sensation of being split apart. His legs felt like twigs in a tornado, ready to break under him any second. All he could do was laugh, it was once just a way to lift his spirits, to remind him of the things he had to laugh at. Now it seemed like a coping mechanism, a twisted way of turning pain into numbing limbo. He was sure he' go insane with how much laughing he's done or at least lose his voice, but his body and will were linked and neither were ready to give up yet.

**"C'MON, DOC! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? HAHAHAHAHA!"**

The thunderous sound waves made him feel like water on a subwoofer, churning and crushing him inside and out. His pride wouldn't let him scream in agony nor beg for mercy, all he could do was endure it.

"Getting a little too cocky, aren't you, hedgehog? How about we turn up the decibels? I'm thinking more pitch!"  
The extremely high pitched sound smacked Sonic hard against the cold concrete floor, making it shatter below him. He barely managed to but he pushed himself up, trying to defy the force of the blast. His groans of pain turned to giggles, then to chuckling, then to full blown hysterics.

**"HAHAHA! NOW WE'RE TALKING!"  
**Sonic felt like the air in his very lungs was vibrating, making it hard to even laugh. His ears were in remarkable pain, making him squirm and grind his head against the hard floor. The hard concrete, but very, very breakable floor. He curled up into a ball, his spines disheveled and messy, but still very strong and knowing that he began to roll. He span and span until his infamous spin dash was formed, cutting through the floor at supersonic speed, challenging the wavelength that crushed him.

The ground was durable, but he was able to cut through in no time, tunneling around in the shaking ground before moving toward the core of the speaker above. Cutting through the wires, the woofers and the unnecessarily reinforced steel incased battery was all suddenly relinquished in a ball of fire, exploding oh so satisfyingly. Sonic flew backwards from the blast at an incredible speed, his body struggling to regain his balance and stability until he suddenly smashed against the wall, a sharp snap indicating his ribs and spine had snapped under the pressure.

"Eheh, l-looks like I passed with..**flying** colors."  
And with his horrible pun quota filed the battle weary hedgehog passed out, letting the Badniks come in and drag him back to his cell, a trail of blood being left behind. Eggman's mobile video bot trailed behind them, looking over the rubble and measuring Sonic's spin depth, looking immensely pleased.

"Another successful test. Phenomenal job as always, Sonic."

* * *

"Wait, you want to recruit the echidna in the advanced training program already? We're talking about the same echidna that could barely walk a couple weeks ago, right?"

Commander Tower looked dubiously at the small hedgehog in front of him, wondering if this situation could be any more humorous. He took a sip from his coffee, raising an eyebrow at Shadow's proposal. The aforementioned hedgehog furrowed his brows hearing the skepticism, but grinned when he then presented Tower with the file from the head director.

"Knuckles may have been struggling at first, but with my help along with the higher level training program he'll be fighting harder than ever before in no time. He's made a phenomenal amount of growth and he's even getting closer to his full strength. You know better than anyone that I don't tolerate people who can't pull their own weight."  
Towers flipped through the files, grimacing at the alarming amount of agents missing, feeling hopeless that their own forces couldn't prepare an assault on Lyric without fear of more lives being endangered.

"You have that much faith in that guardian? Do you really think he'll make that much of a difference? I'm afraid any more stress on that body of his will cause the poor boy to collapse and then where would we be?"  
Shadow made a disapproving glare at his commander, but understood this question was coming from his own insecurity in his agency. Shadow stared at his own hands, sighing softly as he began to answer Tower's inquiries.

"I understand your concern. However, I've been watching his progress closely, along with several physicians, and I'm confident his resolve to train is as strong as his will. That being said, Abraham. I must ask about priority one."  
"Must you?"  
"Have you gotten any new information on Sonic?"  
"Unfortunately, no one's been able to pinpoint where Lyric and the Doctor could have possibly be keeping him, granted he's still alive."  
"He has to be. We need him to be."  
"I know."

Shadow sighed as he held his arms close to his body, his brows furrowing as the tension rose from his shoulders to his head.  
"And what about the others, Commander? Sonic's sidekick and his other friend, Rose?"  
"We can only assume at this point that they are also Lyric's captives."

Shadow glanced at the ground, unsatisfied with Tower's answer. He knew they was strong enough to handle themselves, young as they were. And it certainly wasn't impossible that they could be just in hiding. But, to be in hiding for that long without communication? Even so, it didn't help him feel any less uneasy hoping for the best.

"Don't worry, Shadow. You know their capabilities. They're stronger than you think."  
"Abraham, this is the same team that almost got themselves blown up along with Prison island."  
"They're also the team who you've been butting heads with since your little fiasco on prison island, by the way, regarding that, have you been issued a bill for the damages and personnel insurance costs?"  
"I'll report back later concerning my proposal, Abraham."  
"So, put it on your tab then? Heh, sleep well, Shadow."

* * *

Arriving back at Knuckles' hospital room he watched as the slumbering echidna, who was busy with an entire schedule of evaluations and physical therapy all this week. The poor thing was exhausted. Shadow took a seat on one of the couches beside the guardian's bed. Shadow's head was pounding and all he wanted was some rest. a break from all the endless chaos that seemed to be brewing in the world. He watched his noisily snoring friend lie in bed, his dreadlocks messily framing his face as his hands rested comfortably at his sides.

"Look at you. You don't look nearly as tough when you're out cold like this."

He chuckled to himself as Knuckles continued his deep slumber, a trail of drool dripping down the side of his mouth. Shadow looked over the echidna, taking notice of all the subtle changes that the guardian's body had undergone during their training together. The echidna was gaining weight, in all the right places too. His arms and legs were becoming more toned and his fur looked much more healthy and vibrant than before. It was almost hypnotizing to watch the echidna's chest rise and fall with each bated breath.

"Get plenty of rest, Knuckles."

Saying that, Shadow listened to the steady noise of his friend's snoring and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Morning rays disturbed the hedgehog's slumber, his nose twitching and his eyes heavy from his long nap. Looking around he noticed the room he rested in to be completely quiet and empty. Knuckles was no where to be seen. Shadow stretched out his arms and suddenly realized the warmth that enveloped him. A thick comforter was draped over his body and a pillow was wedged between his head and the arm of his chair. Shadow could feel his cheeks burn from embarrassment as he lifted the comforter from his body and placed the pillow back on his friend's bed.

"Tch, idiot. I'm suppose to take care of **you**."

* * *

"I'm not cutting them."

"Please, Mr. Echidna, understand that we're simply trying to solve this chronic muscle pain you have."

"Okay, I get that, but what does that have to do with my hair?"

The base chiropractor and his assistants all did a collective sigh as they tried to explain to the echidna that his lengthy dreadlocks, which were now long enough to touch his thighs were the source of his distress. Knuckles had been admitted to the ward after the echidna complained about severe back and neck pain keeping him awake.

"Please, we just want to help you. Cutting your hair will not only alleviate the pressure on your neck but help your spine line up properly when you walk and lie down."

"...Okay, but...how short are you gonna cut it?"

"Shoulder length should be enough."

The echidna sighed as he gripped his dread lock, holding it between two hands. He couldn't help but feel oddly attached to his hair, which was entirely Sonic's fault. However, deep down he knew this would happen eventually, .

"Mr. Echidna, there's no need to worry. It'll grow back."

Knuckles suddenly shifted his glance over to the doctor, not even moving his face, his cold lavender irises pierced daggers into the man's eyes and he gripped his lock tighter, slowly losing his cool as he seemed to be greatly offended by the doctor's words.

"Knuckles." a voice broke the tension.

The patient and the physician both looked at the door as one of the assistants had let Shadow into the office, since the hedgehog was technically still his legal guardian.

"Shadow, what are you-"

"Shut it."

Knuckles' eye twitched at the hedgehog's stern voice and was about to combat it with a retort of his own, but suddenly he felt a delicate touch along his head. A gentle hand caressing the lock he held so tightly, then sliding down and off his hand like water.

"I know you like this rugged nature guy look, but this has been a long time coming. It's affecting your training."

Knuckles looked down, a dejected expression spread across his face. He knew it was true that the time to face the facts would come eventually, but he hoped with all his heart it wouldn't be anytime soon.

"Hey, look on the bright side."

Knuckles looked up at Shadow who had the echidna's dreads in his grip, covering the bottoms of his lock so that it looked like Knuckles' quills were already short.

"You might actually look cute with short hair."

* * *

As Shadow laid writhing on the ground from a well-earned punch in the gut, Knuckles sat in a chair, arms crossed and his cheeks red as Shadow's face after having the wind literally knocked out of him.

"Fine, whatever! Chop it off, but if it looks stupid I'm kicking that fucker in the dick!" The chiropractor looked over at the hedgehog whose life was suddenly now in his hands. In his peripheral vision the professional could see the hedgehog raise a very feeble thumbs up as he lifted himself from the ground.

'_Was this his whole plan?' _the doctor had to admit it was a little ingenious, but mostly stupid.

"Alright here we go. I'm not a natural stylish however, so..." the chiropractor nervously reached into his desk and took out a large pair of sharp scissors.  
"You hear that, Shadow? Kiss your nuts good-bye!"

A very worried groan rose from the ground in terrified anticipation.

_'I knew I should have called in sick today.' _the doctor contemplated as he began to trim the echidna's lengthy spines.

The whole room was tense, with no one speaking or making a sound beside the sound of loud snipping, the blades cutting through each dread lock like real hair. The assistants raised their eyes in surprise as they saw a growing amount of crimson cover the tiled ground. In their heads they imagined the echidna's locks to be more solid and firm, but were surprised to see that once a small snip was made that the echidna's spines was just like fur, as strands delicately littered the floor. Shadow lifted himself from the ground during the middle of it all and was hesitant to look at his partner's face during this excruciatingly long process. When he finally got the courage to he was disheartened to see the echidna's expression.

Knuckles had his eyes closed tight and his hands shook as the clenched his arms in their crossed formation. Any would think the echidna was calm from his quietness, but Shadow knew the echidna was in distress. Over time the hedgehog had come to realize that Knuckles had grown incredibly fond of his hair. He'd touch it whenever he was nervous, he'd nestle in them as he rested and he seemed happy whenever he saw them getting stronger and healthier.

But this was something he needed to overcome.

"All finished."

The room made a collective sigh as Knuckles uncrossed his arms and braced for the worst, slowly opening his eyes and fearing the reflection he would see in mirror adjacent to him. Shadow walked beside him and gently rested a hand on the other's shoulder, offering silent support.

"Why couldn't I be a football player like my dad wanted?" The doctor whined, shaking his wrist from the excessive clipping, thoroughly done with this day's shenanigans.

Silence.

Knuckles had finally looked at his reflection.

Sonic stood in the mirror, his hand lovingly caressing the echidna's shoulder as he admired his lover's new look. Knuckles turned his head from side to side, not saying a word until Shadow spoke up, making the Sonic inside the mirror ripple away into nothing. His newly trimmed locks ticked his shoulders as the shortened look made the echidna look slightly younger.

"What do you think?"

"It's cute."


	4. It's Not You

_This hospital always made her feel uneasy, not that being around sickness or death made it uncomfortable to be here, but the fact every time she came here someone couldn't help but flirt with her. She was used to it when she was on the job, but she'd like not to get asked out every five minutes. She tried not to attract too much attention to herself, with her stature and looks it was difficult to trek unnoticeably. The young bat wore a black pencil skirt with a slimming blazer. Her breasts were covered, or course, yet she could feel the hungry stares of overconfident doctors and lonely older patients. The sooner she got to her friend's room the better. She had some news to share and while she was never a fan of good-byes she felt at least those two jerks deserved one. Her heels clicked softly as she stood in front of the room door, almost deciding to just keep it as things were, just leave and Shadow and Knuckles find out themselves of her departure, but she shook her head. She could never. Not even if she wanted to.  
Click. Ker-chak!  
The sound of the doorknob alerted the once slumbering hedgehog of the woman's presence. He had been expecting her, but not at this hour since she usually visited in the evening. Knuckles laid resting in his bed, no longer dressed in a gown with numerous I.V cords attached to him like an extension cord, but wearing his old boxing gloves and shoes with some new special arm and leg wraps. It had been a month since Shadow and Knuckles started their training and the doctors had ordered for special upper arm and lower leg wraps for them both. Seeing as Knuckles had been out of commission, mal-nourished and severely brutalized just a little bit over two months ago, after recovering from being bed-ridden for 3 weeks; it was obvious such things would be needed. Shadow had decided a while back that he too had gone too long without cardio training and was losing his speed and edge and figured that he should train alongside the echidna. With this plan in mind he acquired some arm and thigh wraps to ease the tension in his legs and biceps, he even took the liberty of wrapping red sports tape around his hover shoes. He couldn't depend on the rocket function to make him fast anymore. He needed to rely on his own speed._

_Rouge felt at ease in the older one's presence even if she was physically older. There was just some form of exuberance emanating from him despite his morose temperament. He eyed her as she rested on the chairs besides her slumbering friend. A few moments of silence passed before she began to softly laugh,_

"You haven't been training him too hard have you Shadow? The poor guy looks exhausted. And those wraps?"

"He's not strong enough yet. I have to keep him on a strict regime if we're going to see results. The wraps will help tone and keep his muscles balanced enough to handle a little strain."

"A little strain? It's too soon to be pushing him this hard. He was hooked up to every machine in this room just a couple months ago."

_As mission-oriented and strict as the hedgehog was Rouge knew he cared deeply for Knuckles' well-being, so much so that he'd purposely abandon work to check on him, all because of that flat line scare. However, he'd never admit that he cared about him and whenever asked why he was so emotionally invested, he'd just brush it off and insist it was 'just orders'._

'_Yeah, whatever' she thought._

_Shadow remained soundless, not even making noise for a breath. She took this as a good chance to share her news._

"I got an assignment from the president to locate Lyric and the Doctor. I'm leaving tomorrow."

_Shadow remained silent, not seeming to exhibit shock or concern. 'Well, I wasn't expecting tears, but…' she wondered what it was the hedgehog was pondering at that moment. Was he trying to find the words to say, was he simply uninterested or was he trying to stay as stoic and unfeeling as ever? Well, whatever he was doing she took it in stride, used to her former partner's attitude towards most things by now. She turned her attention to Knuckles and reached out for him, but hesitated and retracted her hand. She wanted to hold his hand and tell him she was going to miss him. She sat there with her hand slightly extended, face blank and ears drooped. She had remembered when they first met and when they fought on the ARK and just how much they had grown since then. She'd visit him and he'd give her the softest smile, calling her 'Bat-girl' less and less with every meeting and referring to her real name more often._

_It always sounded nice the way he said her name, flowing off his tongue like air, like he couldn't breathe without saying it._

_She hadn't realize until now how much she had loved him. But, even she knew what that kind of love would get her and using her better judgement she never went further than mindless flirting whenever they spoke to each other. Her glance moved from one guardian to the other, still sitting in his seat, legs crossed and face resting on the back of his hand. His expression had changed. He had a biggest scowl and it almost frightened her how upset he looked and she wished she could just hear what was in his head at that very moment._

_Shadow hadn't even thought about Lyric or Eggman during the month of training he spent with Knuckles. Every day was filled with laps around the base, weight lifting, dieting and an echidna whining for the hundredth time about getting up early._

_How did he forget so easily? To him it was just an objective, to get Knuckles stronger and fit to fight. What he was fighting for? Neither of them had addressed it since they started. Knuckles' episodes lessened and they spent time together talking more about training than anything else. It wasn't until Rouge told him about her mission today did he snap out of his routine and remember what his own mission was. To save Sonic, to restore the Master Emerald, and to liberate Mobius from the technophile terrorists. What was G.U.N. planning on doing with Rouge? She was a top-notch spy and fighter, but to send her to track the foe head-on? It sounded like a suicide mission and Shadow just couldn't bear thinking about her getting hurt. She was one of his first allies and friends when he was awakened, even if she was working against him at the time, she genuinely had his back._

_He didn't hear her chair scuff against the ground or her heels clicking on the floor, or her steps halting once they made it to his side. Instead, he felt her. He felt her embrace him, herself resting her head on his shoulder and her arms holding him tight. Shadow didn't know what to do. The last time he was hugged was on Prison Island by that little pink girl and that was just a mistake; this was intentional. He let her hold him and knew this was her way of easing his neurotic mind. She knew how much he worried for others even if he didn't show it, like how he rescued her from the bomb on their first mission, despite how easy it would have been to leave her behind. Or how he battle Overlord Metal Sonic despite his target, Eggman, being his only concern. And also how he put aside his past life to destroy the Black Comet. She hoped he knew that too, about how much of a hero he really was, no matter how things seemed to be falling apart around him. Letting go, she turned away quickly and bolted through the door, lest he should see her pained expression._

_Knuckles didn't know what to think of anything he just saw. He kept quiet, not stirring or making it obvious he was awake. He just laid there, with one eye slightly open to see Rouge hugging Shadow. He was confused why they didn't say anything, why Shadow looked so dismayed and why Rouge left so quickly. He closed his eyes again and wondered if Shadow would tell him when he woke up._

_He didn't._

* * *

_Knuckles adjusted his shoe straps and kept his eyes on Shadow who had not said a word since the echidna got out of bed. Shadow just nonchalantly put on his jacket and ran his hand through his quills. The echidna didn't know what to think of his friend's behavior and couldn't fathom Shadow omitting something from him. Until today they told each other everything, their likes, dislikes, history and feelings, so why was today so different? Knuckles stretched his arms above his head and decided to take matters in his own hands._

"I haven't seen Rouge today yet. I've been meaning to show her how much I've improved in my training."

"We're doing reps today. 5 sets of 10 push-ups. 10 sets of 10 sit-ups. 2 sets of 2 laps around the base, understand?"

"Um, hello? I was just asking about Rouge?"

"…"

_Knuckles wasn't fazed anymore of Shadow's excessiveness when it came to training, but he was a little peeved that Shadow just flat-out ignored him. Shadow walked out the room with Knuckles following shortly after, _his shortened locks brushing against his shoulders at a rapid pace. It was times like this that he was reluctantly grateful for the unwanted haircut. He had leaned early in his training it was dangerous to have long hair during a battle. Especially around Shadow. There was an incident where Knuckles dreadlocks came undone from a poorly made ponytail and Shadow reprimanded him by yanking them harshly. A blessing in disguise he supposed.

_They entered the courtyard behind the base after an uncomfortably long and quite walk, Shadow not even speaking to the agents and doctors around him. Knuckles went to an open area of the yard and knelt down to start his reps._

"Remember, 5 sets of 10 push-ups."

_Still nothing but exercise talk, this was getting annoying._

"Yeah, got it."

_Knuckles began his sets and after a few minutes he was almost done with only 2 more sets to go, but he felt something heavy suddenly push against his back and he turned his head around to see Shadow's foot on his shoulders._

"What the hell are you-"

"Don't stop. Keep going. You need to be strong enough not to only handle your weight but the weight of others. You can't save anyone if you can't even carry them."

_Knuckles scoffed and continued his push-ups, pushing against Shadow's force each time. When he finished he swatted Shadow's foot off his shoulder and brushed his back off of any dirt he got on him. Shadow knelt on the ground in front of Knuckles as the echidna began his sit-up reps. The hedgehog placed his hands on top of Knuckles' feet and stared at him blankly as Knuckles pushed himself off the ground with his hands crossed against his chest. His cheeks heated up every time he got close to Shadow's face when he went up and became flustered when every time he laid back down he was constantly in Shadow's line of sight. 'Why is he just staring at me? Usually, he'd just stare at my feet or stand off to the side. This was just weird. Something is definitely bothering him. Why won't he just tell me what's up?'_

"5 more sets to go, echidna."

"I know, I know. I'm counting too, y'know."

_Actually, Knuckles didn't know. How'd he do them so quickly that he's already half-way through? 'Maybe this ridiculous regime is working after all.' When he finished his sit-ups he swiped his feet from the hedgehog's hold, face red from the awkwardness of it. Shadow stood up and took out a stopwatch from his jacket pocket, examining it before pressing the start button._

"Laps start now. 2 sets of 2 around the base. Let's try to not slack off on the last lap like last time, okay?"

_Knuckles tightened his leg wrap, face twitching from being tired of hearing nothing but exercise talk from the other so far. Shadow fiddled with his stop watch while Knuckles knelt on the ground his arms extended on the ground in front of him with his legs bent, ready to spring himself forward once the timer had started._

"Remember to not focus so much on the speed, it's the endurance and stamina you need to train-"

"**I know already!"**

_Beep! Beep!_

_Knuckles pushed off the ground and bolted down the yard, dust erupting from the ground at the force of the echidna's feet. Shadow was left wide-eyed and surprised, caught off guard at the outburst while he watched the echidna barrel down the concrete._

'_Knuckles…'_

* * *

"Hey, Knuckles! Wake up already, lazy-ass!"

_Knuckles stirred in his sleep, turning from his position on his back to his sides to look down at his visitor. Sonic stood at the foot of the altar holding a basket as he bore a goofy grin. Knuckles rolled of his resting place on the Master Emerald and called out to his visitor a little grumpier than he meant to._

"What are you doing here, Sonic?"

"Come on, Knuckles, don't be like that. I brought snacks so come down here and let's eat!"

_Knuckles smiled shyly as he came down the steps, unsure why the hedgehog was such a sappy romantic. 'What an idiot.'_

_After the items in the basket had been devoured they relaxed on the bottom steps of the altar. Knuckles rested his body against Sonic's chest, a position he never thought he'd be in six months ago. He couldn't put it into words how strongly he felt for the hedgehog; was it admiration, adoration, or simply love? He didn't know if it was time yet to say that word yet, but he knew his chest was pounding and his hands felt sweatier than usual so that was definitely a tell-tell sign of it, wasn't it?_

_B-Bmp!_

_B-Bmp!_

_B-Bmp!_

_Knuckles could feel himself being lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of Sonic's heartbeat, his own heart almost in perfect sync. A gloved hand slipped unto his waist and rested delicately against it. Normally, he'd freak out at this kind of contact and end up punching Sonic for being so forward, but right now he felt so calm and relaxed that it didn't bother him in the slightest. It just felt right, to be here, to feel this way, and for the first time he felt completely happy._

"Knuckles."

_Strange, Sonic's voice sounded deeper, maybe he was uncomfortable? Knuckles didn't want to think like that, Sonic was the one that initiated this whole thing so why would he be uncomfortable? Knuckles hesitantly looked up, but he wasn't comforted by those emerald eyes, filled with kindness and love. Instead, he saw blood-stained irises, eyes that only knew pain and loss. He glanced down in panic as he saw his boyfriend instantaneously turn into…_

"Shadow?"

_The hedgehog didn't speak, but his eyes, though piercing and lined with darkness from his past, looked solemn and stoic. His fur softened under the other's touch and Knuckles didn't know whether to be happy to be with his friend or upset that his boyfriend was gone. Knuckles jumped from his position, pushing Shadow away and dashed up the altar away from this intruder. His legs felt heavier with each step he went up and the altar seemed to ascend endlessly, but he would not be deterred. His heart pounded, his legs screamed for rest, and a distant voice called for him._

_Knuckles…_

_Knuckles._

_**Knuckles!**_

* * *

"_**Sonic!"**_

_Knuckles screamed back for the hedgehog as his eyes snapped open and his body fell hard against the ground. He rolled, gravel and dirt scratching his crimson fur, his impact against the ground as powerful as a fallen star. When the momentum finally stopped dragging his body across the land he felt his entire body ache and pulse. His heart was erratic, beating hard and fast, while Knuckles throat felt so dry that even breathing was a challenge. He couldn't move, all he could do was stare at his legs spread apart and his dreadlocks messily covered his face. 'Why?' He thought. 'I haven't dreamt about Sonic or had an episode in weeks, so why?' The echidna feared that the dreams returning was a sign, a sign that Knuckles was starting to relapse._

"_All because of that asshole, I bet."_

_Knuckles managed to cough out that last comment as he staggered to lift himself up, elbows starting to buckle. He felt broken, in more ways than one, and he couldn't fathom why he'd let something so stupid like Shadow not telling him about Rouge set him off so badly. 'No, it's not Rouge. It's…'_

_Shadow raced down the track, looking for wherever Knuckles could have gone. The echidna was well past his time quota and knowing that made Shadow wonder if Knuckles' body finally gave out. ._

'_Maybe Rouge was right. Maybe I am pushing him too hard. But, he has to get stronger! He wants to find that hedgehog so badly and…I __**want**__ him to.__I just want him to understand how I feel.'_

_It didn't take long before Shadow saw a figure resting on the ground and when he saw that it was red he kicked it into high gear and wished the echidna wasn't too hurt._

"_Knuckles…"_

_The echidna opened his eyes again._

"_Knuckles!__**"**_

_He lifted himself one more time and as his body finally found the strength to sit up he watched as that dark hedgehog called out for him again, looking quite aggravated._

"_**Knuckles!"**_

_Shadow fell to his knees as he looked over his friend, checking everywhere from his head to his body. This kind of close inspection was making Knuckles uncomfortable and he had to turn his head away again to avoid showing the other his reddening face._

"You're not bleeding are you? I don't see any bad gashes. Chaos, how hard did you fall? I guess that's it for training today."

_Knuckles looked back at the hedgehog, who seemed so genuinely concerned about him that he had to tell him right now how he felt. Raising a hand he grabbed Shadow's arm which rather confused him._

"Knuckles? What is it?"

Knuckles wondered if now was the right time for this, but if not now when? He didn't want to ever feel like this again, like he wasn't strong enough to handle words as well as fighting. He wanted Shadow to know that he wanted be his equal, his partner, but he had to make one thing clear first,

"Shadow?"

"Yes?"

_Shadow…_

"I **hate **liars, and if we're going to be partners you have to start trusting me. No lying, no omitting, just straight truth, okay?"

"Knuckles…"  
_Shadow had that solemn look again._

"Shadow, please. Tell me what's going on."

"Okay."


	5. Your Dreams Are Here

"So, you have no idea if Sonic is alive or not? Are there really no leads on where Lyric and Eggman could have taken him?"

"I'm afraid so. Your boyfriend could be dead or he could have escaped yesterday or he might still be in captivity to this very day. Plus, with the amount of agents captured by Lyric and still no updates on what could have happened to them, we can't assume they're still alive either. This troublesome battle of lands has escalated quickly into a world-wide takeover in the span of only a few months."

_Knuckles clutched his chest, a pained expression on his face as he looked down at the ground. Shadow looked up from his clipboard, which he used to keep track of all the things he told his partner so far. He was about to continue in his discussion when he noticed the echidna's reaction, a reaction he wished not to see but now realized was an inevitable sight. And now judging from the lack of input from the echidna Shadow had a feeling Knuckles had stopped listening when he had heard 'your boyfriend could be dead.' Nice one, Shadow. Resting his clipboard to the side he went to Knuckles' side, knowing that hearing, as well as seeing, something so terrible all at once might be a bit jarring._

"I'm sorry I didn't have more hopeful news and I'm sorry for keeping it all from you. My objective was to get you healthy and fit for battle, and I actually thought that was working. Telling you this was merely a nasty war and not a full hostile takeover was selfish of me. In my own mind I was sure what I was doing was right and effectively efficient. Your episodes were lessening, you were getting stronger, and you were…smiling more. But, in the end, all I did was give you more grief and now you say you're dreaming about **him** again."

_For the last few hours they had been talking about everything happening on Mobius, along with some discrepancies Shadow had yet to tell, like Commander Abraham relocating agents, such as Rouge, to locate Lyric and Eggman. Also, the agents that were sent to find the rest of Team Sonic being M.I.A, and even the president being held in protective custody due to Lyric's firm robotic hold on Central City. Knuckles looked back at Shadow, realizing just how much Shadow cared for his health and how Shadow would have liked to hang onto this information for a bit longer and maybe give Knuckles some hopeful and more light-hearted news, but as per their agreement; no lying, no omitting, only truth._

_Knuckles spoke first, _  
"Shadow, it's not the end yet. While I am upset that so much has gone to shit on this planet while I've just been lying in this bed, taking vision tests, and training I can't dwell on that. What's done is done. Now we have to get out there, find the old team, rescue Sonic, and save the world."

"No, you're not fit for field duty yet. Especially not with that nasty fall you just had. I think I can still see gravel in your-"

"It's only a matter of time before G.U.N calls you out too! The only reason they haven't already is because you've been here protecting and taking care of me, or rather, protecting your link to the Master Emerald! Well, I'm better now! We're not always going to look our best, but damn it we're going to fight even better than our best!"

_Shadow rubbed his temples, not wanting to argue about this with the echidna. Perhaps, he really did have a point, or perhaps he was just talking out his ass again.  
_"If these past months has taught me anything about you it's that you're incredibly stubborn and reckless for someone who's **endangered**. Are you sure you're ready for field duty?"

_Knuckles made an exaggerated thinking face, then smiled.  
_"Nope! But, hey. What better person to watch my back than the Ultimate Life Form?"  
_The echidna softly laughed, then stared straight into those scarlet eyes.  
"_I won't give up. I'll watch your back and protect you as well as you've protected me."

_Shadow gave Knuckles a skeptical look, but ended up quietly snickering to himself.  
_"You're something else, echidna. Now whether that something is an idiot or a potential hero is a question to be answered at some point. Alright, you've convinced me. Let's go find your stupid friends."

_Knuckles became immensely happy, he was burning with an ambition to find his lost love and he had one of the greatest of allies to help him do it. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Shadow, gently hugging the hedgehog in an overwhelming feeling of gratitude._

_Shadow on the other hand felt a strange feeling in his body, his face felt hotter and his heart was pounding in his chest. 'Two hugs in one day? Is someone trying to fill up my hug quota or something?' He didn't know what to do. Should he hug back or just let Knuckles get it out of his system? Shadow wasn't used to this kind of physical contact so he assumed __**that**__ was why his body felt like it was on fire. When Knuckles released him he just kept his face neutral, not exhibiting disgust or discomfort even though he had an innate dislike of cuddly, buddy-buddy stuff like this. In his mind, Knuckles was different. Knuckles was strong and determined, stubborn, but fiercely task-oriented, yet he still had this light of innocence and kindness that Shadow did not expect someone so powerful to still bear. Knuckles wasn't like any of Sonic's other friends who usually depended solely on their hero to save the day. Knuckles was strong enough on his own, rivaling the dark hedgehog's own power, and yet was someone Shadow could respect and fight alongside with, at least now he was. Back then, Shadow would've been quick to label the echidna as nothing more than a idiotic brute with an overbearing sense of arrogance, resembling his boyfriend, but this was to be expected. Rouge was like this as well, arrogant, yet sensible when times called for it. Rouge was just like himself as well, which is why it was so easy for them to work together._

_Shadow snapped out of his thinking when he heard the other cough uncomfortably. Knuckles smiled sheepishly, a little embarrassed for letting his emotions get to him,  
_"_Heh, _Sorry, Shadow. I got a little carried away."

"I understand. Just make sure to warn me next time. I'll get a cavity from all this sweetness."

"_Heheh, _yeah, sure, no problem!"

_Knuckles took his dreadlocks in his hands, stroking them thoughtfully as his face paled a bit. As pumped as he was about his mission, he couldn't stop himself from already thinking about Sonic's fate. Would all this be for naught? What if Sonic was being used as a natural energy source or was already a skinned rug in Eggman's home? Knuckles could feel his heart accelerate when he thought about those possibilities, the mere thought sent images rushing through his head. Knuckles knew he couldn't fall to despair and give up on Sonic so soon, so he decided he would focus on one thing-Sonic's heartbeat. That sweet, sweet sound that gave him peace and tranquility when he was with him in that dream.  
B-bmp_

_B-bmp_

_B-bmp_

_It was faint, but still beating. As long as Knuckles could hear that beating inside him he'd have hope and continue to fight. No matter how bad it gets or how much it takes. Knuckles placed a hand on top of the hedgehog's and gave him a sweet smile,_

"I know we'll find him, Shadow. I just hope that wherever he is, that he's okay."

"Don't even worry about it, echidna. I'm sure wherever he is, he's punching the Doctor's face in your honor right now."

"_Heheh, _He better be."

* * *

Somewhere else...

_Sonic laid flat on his side, scratching at his chains. He looked around his cell, a dimly lit, freezing, steel cell that had been his home for about 4 months now. However, to the hedgehog it had felt like he had been trapped here for years, without any hope of escape. He had tried innumerable times before to escape, yet each time had been foiled and he was subjected to violent tests as punishment. His legs felt numb and he just wanted to fall asleep, but his body had already trained itself to stay awake and alert to any noises and movements that would cause for Sonic to be ready for action. He had been thankful that he had adapted so well to his surroundings, but now when he really wanted to relax he just couldn't._

_He tried just closing his eyes, wishing that thinking about something peaceful would be enough to lull him out of this hell._

_He focused all his thoughts on recreating his paradise, somewhere he'd feel safe. A rush of blue passed his sight and he could see a luscious green field, the sun resting against the horizon which made the sky blend into a reddish-orange hue. He could feel the grass graze against his arms and legs as the dew of a flower gave off an enticing scent. He could feel his body being lifted from the cold prison floor to the warmth of the field, almost like some existential force was carefully moving him._

* * *

_Sonic…_

_Sonic!_

_Sonic's perked at the sound of a soft, yet rugged voice. His eyes felt misty as he opened them._

"Wake up, lazy-ass!"

"Kn-Knuckles?"

Knuckles was lying against the hedgehog's body, his big bright amethyst eyes looking up at him. Sonic couldn't believe the sight before him as he reached out to touch the echidna's face, grazing his fingers against him. Knuckles leaned his face against his boyfriend's hand, sending shivers up Sonic's body as he had not felt another person in so long.

"Sonic, what's wrong?"

_Sonic's eyes were now overflowing with tears and he pulled Knuckles into his arms, taking in his warm body and sweet scent._

"N-Nothing. I-I've just missed you so much, Knux."

_He held Knuckles tight, and after a while the warmth turned cold and Knuckles' body didn't feel as soft and comforting anymore. The hedgehog hesitated in opening his eyes; he knew what was going to happen and he couldn't bear to see it again. He rubbed his eyes and felt helpless as he spectated himself being dragged away from his boyfriend, Knuckles reached out desperately for him, who started calling out for his tortured lover._

**_Sonic…_**

_Sonic reached back out, crying now as he was filled with regret and longing,_

_"I'm sorry."_

**_Sonic, what are you doing?_**

_"I don't know what I was thinking."_

**_Sonic, come back_**

_"I didn't want to leave you behind."_

**_Sonic…_**

_"Knuckles…"_

**_…I hate you._**

_"…I love you."_

* * *

**"Time to wake up, hedgehog. We have many tests to do today!"**  
_Sonic jolted from his rest and looked frantically around, his chains shaking under him. He rushed to his feet and tugged on every link of the chain in a fit of panic, his spines becoming even more disheveled then they already were,_

"Knuckles! Knuckles! **I'm coming!"**

"Settle down, hedgehog. You and I both know you're in no condition to go anywhere anytime soon. Now why don't you just-"

_Sonic snapped around towards a security camera positioned in the crack of the wall above him, his teeth gnashed together in a tight fierce grip as his body shook with bereavement._

"Why don't I just **what**?! Wait for you to ruin my life even more? You already took everything from me! My friends my family, the love of my life and even my freedom! **What else do I have to lose**?"

_Sonic gripped his chains and heaved with all his might in hopes of uprooting his chain's bolts. His feet scrambled at the ground, trying hard to gain leverage and use his weight to his advantage. His joints cracked under the pressure of his force, it wasn't until now did Sonic truly feel the effects of malnutrition plaguing his body, his bony limbs threatening to snap. His tears began to stain his face, delivering his body the only water he's had in weeks._

"Be that as it may, unless you want to break your arms I suggest you cease your struggling. The last time you threw a hissy fit this big you broke a femur."

_Sonic growled and his spines bristled just hearing the doctor try to coax him out of his actions, but Sonic wasn't done yet. He yanked at his wrists, practically disjointing them from their host. A blood-curdling yell erupted from the distressed hedgehog as, unknown to him, his bright blue appearance dulled and became darker in color as his skin paled._

_Doctor Robotnik raised a brow from his observation point in his laboratory, currently riddled with rejected plans and schematics. Scratching his chin he didn't know what to think of this new development, he had seen the hedgehog upset, enraged, aggravated and many other synonyms that basically meant the same thing but never __**this.**__ He decided to send a Motobug to get a blood sample from their guest, a sample could shed light on this surprising…er, mutation, perhaps?_

_He decided to chime in to his disgruntled prisoner,  
_"Now, Sonic, I know you're upset about being an unwilling guest in this whole thing, but you really must pull yourself together. You wouldn't want to get your blood boiling, since you barely have enough left as it is. No reason to waste yet another one of your rare adrenaline rushes, although this would give me a good opportunity to measure the extent of your strength."

"**GO FUCK YOURSELF."**

"Charming. Let me know when you're done with your temper tantrum so that we may resume our tests."

_Sonic growled at the camera in response. He continued to thrash about and pull against the chains, and it began to seep in. The feeling of real entrapment, to really be a prisoner of not only this cell but of his own strength. He couldn't take feeling so helpless anymore. He had endured months of endless test and torture in the hands of his worst enemy. He remembered when he was so fun of life and hope, but now he'd kill to just have a moment's peace, to feel wind on his face, or even see the blue of the sky. He couldn't fathom a time where he even came close to smelling grass or hear a bird's chirp from these awful walls. Eggman had definitely upped his game over the years of constant battling and rivalries. Even now the very chains that held his wrists and ankles refused to give out, even with this second wind of strength rushing through Sonic like the wind he missed so much._

_He could tell he was at least more skilled than he used to be when he was enslaved, but without the needed nutrition and strength to carry it out it was as useless as having an antidote to a disease that's killed everyone already. His rational mind began to take over as his arms became disjointed from his shoulders._

_"__**Ow."**_

_Sonic slumped back on the ground, ears flattened, yet eyes still piercing with fire. He may have still managed to hang onto the will to live and drive to escape from his steel prison, yet even then, without his strength, his health; everything was for naught. He took a deep breath, rationality was his only hope of coping with this utter defeat for now._

_He had dreaded having that dream again, the dream that reminded him of his biggest mistake- letting his hubris take over him. In the past, it was usually his stubbornness that saved him and ultimately saved the world, but a life of victories had made him arrogant and over-confident. Having that dream now, after all this time, must've been his subconscious taking action and choose to instill him with fear and hope; sisters in survival. And this wouldn't be the first time it did something like this, causing Sonic to lose control and let overwhelming anger control him. It usually made him scream and thrash about until he was bloody and practically pouring adrenaline from his body, a necessary risk in order to try to weaken his chains and his cell. However, time and time again this prison has proven himself to be able to be much more than mildly intimidating. In his peak health, a spin-dash would be all he needed to escape, but not anymore. A spin-dash now would only cause extreme exhaustion, as it did when he passed the 'Metronome' test, something Sonic later realized was just a sick showcase of his spinning power, or lack thereof._

"Jeez, I got to learn how to control this adrenaline of mine. If I keep having these breaks I'm not going to have any energy to even speak."

_Sonic took this moment of raised energy to do a body check, making sure he didn't break anything in this fit. He instantly noticed his spines were longer but thinner, spreading over his arms as it was natural for older hedgehog's to grow more spines. His wrists hurt like hell so he figured he must have dislocated them. __**Again.**_

"Beats having a broken femur, I guess."

"Have you finally come to your senses, old friend?"

"You're still here?_ Well, _I guess it'd be stupid of me to think you'd even give me a moment to myself."

_Sonic staggered to his feet as a pair of SwatBots came through his cell door, coming to his side to take him to his next test. What these tests were for was beyond him. Maybe the tests were just bullshit and all Egg-head was really taking from it was a good rush in his sadistic mind. Another part of him figured he was using this information to his advantage, maybe applying it to his robots. But why still test him if he wasn't in top shape? The two robotic henchmen dragged the broken hedgehog across his floor as Sonic continued to contemplate this, not bothered by the rough treatment._

_Robotnik, or Eggman as Sonic always nicknamed him, chimed in once again to give the old hero a message,_

_"_Try not to die, hedgehog. This test is quite important in my research and I'd rather have a living subject."

_Sonic furrowed his brows, spitting on the floor,  
"_I don't know, Doc. Dying sounds pretty good right now…at least then I'd see my boyfriend again."


End file.
